Waste receptacle



Sept, 15, 1959 H. w. PATTERSON 2,

WASTE RECEPTACLE Filed Jan. 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nuns l N V E N TO R Haw/272w h. 1%6/10/7 wiw Sept. 15} 1959 H. w. PATTERSON WASTE RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1958 Illll INVENTOR Herman M/fiflmron BY fit/army. I

United States Pate WASTE RECEPTACLE Herman W. Patterson, Overland Park, Kans.

Application January 14, 1958, Serial No. 708,826

15 Claims. (Cl. 24897) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in waste receptacles, and has particular reference to waste receptacles of the class wherein the actual container receiving the waste comprises a disposable sack of paper or the like, and having a holder for said sack.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a waste receptacle of the class described wherein the sack holder is of one-piece construction having no movable parts, but which nonetheless grips and holds the sack securely therein to prevent accidental dislodgment of said sack and spillage of its contents. Generally, this object is accomplished by providing the holder with openings or pockets into which portions of the sack may be tucked or forced, and in which the sack portions are retained by the rigidity or resistance to deformation of the paper or other sack material.

Another object is the provision of a waste receptacle of the class described wherein the holder engages only the bottom portion of the sack, which extends above said holder and is supported by its own strength, the holder thereby forming a weighted base for the sack which imparts a great deal of stability to the sack to prevent it from being tipped over.

Still another object is the provision of a waste receptacle of the class described having members carried by the holder and engaging the sack which have a high coefficient of friction with the sack material, whereby said sack is still more securely anchored in the holder. The high-friction members may also be extended across the bottom of the holder to resist sliding of the holder over the surface on which it rests. This feature is particularly important where the receptacle is to be carried in a car resting on the car seats or floor, in order to prevent move ment of the receptacle over the floor or seat, or when the receptacle is supported on furniture arms or other nonlevel surfaces.

Other objects are extreme simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency and dependability of operation, and adaptability for use in a wide variety of applications.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a waste receptacle embodying the present invention, showing the sack mounted operatively in the holder,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the holder only,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-+III of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 2, showing a sack mounted in the holder,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the holder, constituting an internal View of a corner thereof, showing a slightly modified form of structure,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VIVI of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing another modification of structure,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VIIIVIII of Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the holder, showing a modification thereof wherein the sack gripping members constitute rubber bands positioned in slots formed in said holder,

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the holder shown in Fig. 9, and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but showing an alternative arrangement of the slots and rubber bands.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies generally, as shown in Figs. l-4, to a holder having the form of a shallow, generally rectangular box. Said holder may be formed of plastic, wood, metal or any other suitable material, and has a floor 4 and upstanding side walls 6 along the edges thereof. At each corner of the holder box is a corner wall 8 which extends diagonally to side walls 6 and is an extension of said side walls. Said corner walls are flush at their upper edges with the upper edges of side walls 6, but terminate at their lower edges in spaced relation above floor 4, whereby to form windows 10 below said corner walls. The holder is provided with four legs 12 attached to floor 4 and extending downwardly therefrom. As best shown in Fig. 4, the horizontal contour of each of said legs is parallel to, coextensive with, and spaced just inwardly from each of corner walls 8. Thus a number of holders may be stacked one above the other, the legs of each projecting downwardly into the next lower holder to prevent relative lateral shifting of said holders.

The holder described above is adapted to be used with an ordinary paper sack 14 such as is commonly used in grocery stores and the like. Said sack is of rectangular cross-section, and is of a size corresponding to the internal rectangular dimensions of the holder, as defined by side walls 6 without reference to corner walls It will be apparent that holders may be provided to receive any desired standard sack sizes.

The lower portion of the sack is fitted into the holder box. It will be apparent that the vertical corners of the sack will be deflected inwardly by corner walls 8 of the holder, as indicated at 16. The extreme lower corners of the sack are then tucked outwardly beneath the lower edges of the corner walls, or in other words through windows 10, as indicated at 18. The sack is thereby fastened in the holder with a very satisfactory degree of security, since while the paper is of course sufliciently pliable that it may be manually positioned as described, it still possesses sufficient rigidity or resistance to deformation that the sack cannot be pulled free of the holder without the application of considerable force. The device may be picked up by grasping the sack only and carried about, or even swung around with considerable vigor, without separating the holder from the sack. The weight or stiffness of the paper is of course a factor affecting the security of the connection, the connection being more secure with heavier and stiffer papers, but the common grades of kraft paper sacks, which are nearly universally available, have been found to be quite satisfactory.

Thus a waste receptacle having several advantages has been produced. The sack may be discarded after a single use at a very low cost, thereby promoting sanitation and greater convenience. The sack may out OK at any desired height, thereby providing a receptacle of the most convenient size for any particular usage. Household uses might permit the use of taller receptacles, while use of the receptacle in a motor car to carry refuse on long trips would require a shorter sack. The holder is extremely simple and economical, having no moving parts. The entire weight of the holder is disposed at the bottom of the sack, thereby imparting good stability thereto and making overturning and spilling thereof unlikely. The legs 12 are of assistance in preventing the holder from rocking or tilting when resting on non-planar surfaces.

In the species of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the holder has a floor 22 and side walls 24, and is similar to holder 2 except that it is a full rectangle in shape, having no diagonal corner walls. Only one corner of said holder is shown, but it will be understood that all four of its corners are identical. A rod or nail 26 extends diagonally. andhorizontally across each corner of said holder, in spaced relation above floor 22, the ends of said rod being anchored securely in a pair of contiguous side walls 24 of said holder. The operation of this species is substantially identical to that shown in Figs. l4, the extreme lower corners of the sack, not shown, being tucked or forced outwardly beneath rods 26 to secure said sack in the holder.

In the species of my invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the holder 20 has floor 22 and side walls 24' and is rectangular, identically with that of Figs. 5 and 6. However, in place of the rods 26 of Figs. 5 and 6, a triangular block 28 is rigidly fixed in each corner of the holder, in spaced relation above floor 22. The operation of this species is substantially identical with that of Figs. 1 and 5, the lower corners of the sack, not shown, being tucked or forced outwardly beneath blocks 28.

In the species of my invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10, rubber bands are used as the sack retaining members in place of the fixed and rigid diagonal members of Figs. 1, 5 and 7. The holder 20 therein is fully rectangular, having a floor 22 and side walls 24, identical with Figs. 5 and 7. At each corner thereof, as best shown in Fig. 10, a slot 30 is formed horizontally in side walls 24, said slot being formed inwardly from the corner. of the box, and the ends of said slot define a diagonal across the box corner, as shown. In the particular arrangement of rubber bands shown, one rubber band 32 is trained through slot 30 at one corner of the holder box, then beneath the box, and through slot 30 at the diagonally opposite corner of the box, as shown in Fig. 9. Another rubber band 34 is similarly trained through slots 30 at the other pair of opposite box corners, and beneath the box. Thus there is a reach 36 of rubber band stretched diagonally across each corner of the box in spaced relation above floor 22. The lower corners of the paper sack, not shown, are tucked outwardly beneath reaches 36, as described in connection with the diagonal retaining members of the other species. The rubber has a very high coefficient of friction with the paper, and therefore further resists accidental dislodgment of the sack from the holder. It will be seen also that the rubber bands form a criss-cross pattern on the lower surface of floor 22. This provides a non-skid surface on the holder which resists slippage of the holder over any surface on which it may rest. This feature is of particular importance when the device is to be carried in automobiles, or rested on furniture arms or other non-horizontal surfaces. Another advantage of the use of rubber bands as shown, over the use of rigid diagonal corner members as is the other species shown, is that the rubber bands may be attached after the sack has been inserted in the holder. In this manner the tension of the bands themselves will serve to deform the corners of the sack as shown, and the necessity of tucking the sack corners under the retaining members is largely elimi nated. Obviously there are numerous patterns in which the rubber bands may be arranged, other than that actually illustrated. For example, a single rubber band could be wrapped peripherally around the entire holder box so as to pass through each of the notches 30. The only requirement is that at least one band passes through each of notches 30, and if a non-skid surface is desired on the holder floor, that certain reaches of the band or bands pass over the bottom surface of floor 22. Also, it will be apparent that wires, string, cord or the like could be used in place of the rubber bands. Rubber bands, however, have the advantages of the non-skid friction as described above, of being easily available, and of being applied more easily and conveniently.

In the species of my invention illustrated in Fig. 11 is shown an alternative method of slotting side walls 24 to receive rubber bands. At each corner of the holder box, a slot 38 is formed vertically in each of the contiguous side walls 24, at points spaced equidistantly from the box corner, said slots extending from the upper edges of said side walls to points spaced above floor 22. With this slot arrangement, it will be apparent that rubber bands could be arranged as discussed in connection with Figs. 9 and 10. However, the particular reason for the Fig. 11 arrangement is that as shown, it permits a rubber band 40 to be passed through the two slots 38, so that a reach 42 thereof extends diagonally across the corner of the box, and thence around the exterior box corner associated therewith. This arrangement requires a separate rubber band for each corner of the holder, but permits the use of smaller bands which are generally more easily available than larger bands.

While I have shown certain specific embodiments of my invention, it will be readily apparent that numerous minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A waste receptacle comprising a holder having the form of a shallow box with a floor and upstanding side walls, a sack formed of semi-pliable material having its lower portion fitted in said holder box and conforming to the general shape of said box, and one or more elongated members secured to said side walls and extending between said side walls in spaced relation above the box (floor and exteriorly of said sack, but within the normal horizontal contour of said sack, whereby a portion or portions of the sack are deflected inwardly, portions of said sack extending outwardly beneath said elongated members whereby said sack is retained in said holder.

2. A holder for a paper sack whereby said sack is adapted to serve as a waste receptacle, said holder comprising a shallow box adapted to receive the lower portion of said sack therein, and one or more elongated sack retaining members secured in said box and extending horizontally in spaced relation above the floor thereof, but within the normal horizontal contour of said sack, whereby portions of said sack are deflected inwardly from the edges of said box, portions of said sack extending outwardly beneath said retaining members.

3. A waste receptacle comprising a shallow, generally rectangular box having a floor and upstanding side Walls, a paper sack having a flat bottom and a rectangular cross-sectional contour, the lower portion of said sack being fitted in said box, and an elongated sack-retaining member extending diagonally between each contiguous pair of side walls of said box in spaced relation above the box floor and secured to the side walls of said box, whereby corner portions of said sack above the bottom thereof are deflected inwardly.

4. A holder for a paper sack having a flat bottom and side walls forming a generally rectangular cross-sectional contour, whereby said sack is adapted to serve as a waste receptacle, said holder comprising a shallow box of generally rectangular horizontal contour and having a floor and upstanding side walls, whereby to receive the bottom portionof said sack therein, and an elongated sackretaining member extending diagonally between each contiguous pair of side walls of said box in spaced relation above the box floor and secured to the side walls of said box, whereby corner portions of said sack above the bottom thereof are deflected inwardly.

5. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said sack-retaining members is formed by an upstanding corner wall of said box arranged diagonally to the contiguous right-angled side walls of said box, said corner wall having its lower edge disposed above the box floor.

6. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said sack-retaining members is formed by an upstanding corner wall of said box arranged diagonally to the con tiguous right-angled side walls of said box, said corner wall having a window formed in the lower portion thereof just above said box floor.

7. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said sack-retaining members constitutes a horizontal rod extending diagonally across a corner of said box, in spaced relation above the box floor, and having its end portions secured in the contiguous side walls of said box.

8. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said sack-retaining members constitutes a rigid block fixed internally in a corner of the box in spaced relation above the floor thereof, the inner face of said block being disposed diagonally to the contiguous side walls of said box. 9. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said g'sack-retaining members constitutes a tensioned strand of soft rubber.

10. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein each of the box side walls is slotted adjacent each corner of the box, whereby a strand of pliable material passing through the slots at each corner will extend diagonally across said corner in spaced relation above the box floor to form said sack-retaining member, and a strand of pliable material passing through said slots at each corner of the box.

11. A holder as recited in claim 4 wherein each of the box side walls is slotted adjacent each corner of the box whereby a strand of pliable material passing through the slots at each corner will extend diagonally across said corner in spaced relation above the box floor to form said sack-retaining member, and one or more rubber bands passing around said box and having portions thereof extending through said slots at each corner of the box.

12. The structure as recited in claim 11 wherein each corner of the box is slotted horizontally in spaced relation above the box floor, said slot extending from the corner of the box to points in each of the contiguous side walls spaced equidistantly from said corner.

13. The structure as recited in claim 11 wherein the contiguous side walls of the box at each corner thereof are slotted vertically at points equidistant from said corner, said slots extending from the upper edges of said side walls to points spaced above the box floor.

14. The structure as recited in claim 11 wherein portions of said rubber bands also rest against the lower surface of said box floor, whereby to provide a non-skid surface for said box.

15. A holder for a paper sack having a flat bottom and vertical walls forming a generally rectangular crosssectional contour, whereby said sack is adapted to serve as a Waste receptacle, said holder comprising a shallow rectangular tray of generally rectangular horizontal contour and constituting a floor having upstanding walls along each of the pairs of opposite parallel edges thereof, whereby to receive the bottom portion of said sack therein, and an elongated sack-retaining member extending diagonally between and attached to each contiguous pair of said tray walls in spaced relation above said floor, whereby corner portions of said sack above the bottom thereof are deflected inwardly.

No references cited. 

